


Daryl's Dream

by Desert Dragonfly (bookbeachbunny)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 17:42:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6866590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookbeachbunny/pseuds/Desert%20Dragonfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events with Negan a feverish, wounded Daryl dreams about what his life in Alexandria should have been like in another world. But even there he can't escape the nightmare of real life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Daryl's Dream

Daryl's Dream

The golf ball cut through the air and while it wasn’t a bad shot it was far enough from the hole for Merle to let out a curse.   
“Not bad brother.”  
“I’m out of practice. Work.”  
“Yeah, yeah.” Daryl’s shot was a lot better and though he hadn’t been on the course in a couple of weeks he would easily beat Merle, whose swearing only got far worse as the game went on badly for him. After the game the brother’s walked from the club house to the car. “My back is popping…”  
“You’re getting old little brother.”  
“Shut-up,” but it didn’t bother him nearly so much. Maybe he could practice lifting weights in the garage or something.  
“You’ll send me pictures?”  
“She’s going to be mad.”  
“Ah, don’t. She’s the one who’s always telling me I should meet someone.”  
“Well, good luck.”  
Daryl waved at his brother as they pulled out in different directions. He checked the clock. It was only four so he had plenty of time. Luckily when you own your own business you can leave in the middle of the day for family things. He even had time to stop and pick up roses for the wife.  
It really was a lovely day. Summer was only just making itself felt as he pulled into the subdivision and waved at a couple of neighbors. Aaron from down the road was out mowing his lawn. Daryl slowed down and waved him over, “Hey, you’re still doing pictures right?”  
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Those flowers for me?” Aaron teased.  
“Yeah, right.”  
He pulled into his driveway and birds were literally singing as he stepped out of the car. Daryl waved at Morgan across the street and even though he wasn’t particular fond of that neighbor she said Morgan was relatively harmless. Plus it wasn’t like they had to be friends or anything.   
“Daryl!”  
“Glenn! Maggie getting ready?”  
“We can’t wait.”  
Daryl smiled. At least he didn’t have to chaperone the dance. Oh, maybe he should but with all the kids out of the house he had plans of his own with the wife. “I’m counting on you guys to make sure he keeps his hands…”  
“Ah! No more… I’ve known these two since they were children. How are we at this point already?”  
“I’ve known you since you were practically a baby.”  
“This is getting soppy.”  
“Yep.”

“Babe!”  
He didn’t know what hit him first. Their old dog Lincoln or the air conditioning. The girls were always cold it seemed. He patted Lincoln and tried to ignore Taylor Swift playing from upstairs. Carol told him that once the girls passed a certain age they would be a lot more interested in his music. You know, proper music. He followed the smell of lasagna into the kitchen where his wife was waiting for him.  
“Hey…”  
Daryl held the flowers away from her with one hand and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her into a kiss. “Yummy!”  
Carol just smiled, “I might have been taste testing. Are those for me or for?”  
“Of course their for you. Should I have gotten something for her?”  
“Usually it’s the boy’s job to bring the corsage.”  
“Well, he better remember. Girls are still going to spend the night with Enid right?”  
“Yep.”  
“Good,” he smirked. “I got plans.”  
“Oh yeah, with who?”  
“It’s a surprise,” he pulled her into another kiss running his hand down her back and copping a feel when the doorbell rang. Causing the girls to start yelling from upstairs.  
“It’s time!”  
“He’s here!”  
“I’m not ready yet!”  
“Are you ready?” Carol asked rolling her eyes at them.  
“If I have to be. I mean it’s not like graduation is it?”  
“Or a wedding?” she teased.  
“Hold your tongue. They’re never getting married!”  
He waited until she had left the kitchen before grabbing a giant bite of the lasagna and girding himself for this one.

Mika and Sophia took the stairs like a bunch of elephants. “Hey! Sophia! You’re going to break your other arm!” She had broken the left arm a couple of weeks ago riding her beloved horse Zombie down at the stables. All the girls had a horse which was not something Carol would have necessarily gone for but Daryl did like to spoil them.  
“Sorry, mom.”  
“No, she’s not. Is your sister ready?”  
“Adding to her perfume. Which is not really necessary” Mika said. “Can I?” and then she didn’t wait for an answer and just opened the door. “Hello Carl!”  
“Hello Mika.”  
Carol exchanged a look with her husband when he walked in. Carl had a nice haircut for the occasion and he looked adorable and nervous in his suit and he did indeed have a corsage that matched the dress. Michonne must have made sure of that because it probably wasn’t something Rick was ever going to think about. Speaking of Rick, he came up behind him and patted his son on the shoulder.  
“Girls. Carol…”  
“Hey, buddy.”  
“Hey. How’s your brother?”  
“He’s fine.”  
“Not here?”  
Daryl shook his head and couldn’t help but realize that Rick looked rather happy about the fact. The girls had pulled Carl inside. They had all grown up together so he imagined this was as strange for them as it was for their parents. Of course they were looking him over and it certainly didn’t seem that way. Michonne had followed her son in still dressed from work and gave Carol a big hug.  
“How was court?”  
“Ugh, dreadful. I’m prosecuting this horror who murdered a guy with a baseball…” she realized then that everyone was looking at her. “Never mind. Not the time or place to think about those things.”  
“Elizabeth!” Daryl hollered. “Are you ready yet?”  
“Honey!”  
“What?”  
“Not exactly subtle.”  
“I’m supposed to be subtle?” Seventeen-years and he still hadn’t gotten that message apparently. Merle sometimes teased him that he got stuck with the blondest girly girls he had ever seen in his life. But his daughters were second only to Carol in his heart and he knew very well that they could give any boy a run for his money.  
Daryl Dixon was very proud of that fact and when Lizzie appeared on the steps looking like a vision in a deep blue gown that he had purchased but not been allowed to see until the big reveal.  
“Mom’s already crying,” Mika whispered to Sophia.  
“Called it.”  
Carol just rolled her eyes and concentrated on cell phone pictures. Lizzie practically floated down the stairs in the blue dress. Daryl didn’t know dresses. He couldn’t have described it properly if he wanted to but she looked like a dream though all he could see was his little munchkin the girl who had been so sick when she was younger that they didn’t expect her to make it.  
Carl was probably smoother with the corsage then Daryl had ever been in twenty years of marriage.  
“You look lovely Elizabeth,” Michonne said hugging the girl.  
“Dad?”  
“Daryl!”  
He tried really hard not to tear up even though everyone was looking at him, “You look like a Princess munchkin…” he held out his arms and she came for her hug.  
“Dad’s crying to.”  
“So is Uncle Rick.”  
“Or parents are such dorks,” he heard Carl say.

They all wound up on the porch while Uncle Aaron took about a million pictures with his camera. A couple of the older neighbors watched and smiled even Morgan. Tyrese and Sasha had walked over to admire Carl’s suit and of course tell Elizabeth how lovely she looked, “Thank you!”  
“A picture with everyone!” Mika yelled.  
“Please…”  
“Of course.”  
“Aaron, can you set it up so that you’re in it too?”  
“Sure.”  
Everyone gathered in place on what was luckily a big wrap around porch. The girls and Carl on the step. Daryl had a fleeting moment of pride that Lizzie wasn’t afraid to get the dress wrinkled.  
“I want a copy!” Tyrese teased.  
“Me too,” he heard Carl whisper. “So we can always remember being happy…” For just a minute something about the comment made Daryl feel off- as though this life was a dream. Then he leaned down and kissed Carol’s head just as the camera flashed. Of course this life was a dream.  
It had been hard but he was lucky and loved and Carl was right. You just store the good memories for the bad times and they would get you through. After the pictures and a couple more minutes Lizzie and Carl left for the prom and the adults stood around making plans and talking about when the kids were young.  
“Your brother!” Carol shook her head. “I sent him a picture and he texts back, if she wasn’t my niece I’d date her.”  
Daryl rolled his eyes. “Don’t blame me for him.”  
“I never would.”  
It was darker now. Aaron had walked away with the promise of pictures and Daryl stood chatting with Rick while Carol excused herself to go check on dinner. Michonne pulled away as well letting go of Rick’s hand and wandering down toward their house. The temperature dropped so suddenly it left them shivering.  
“I was just thinking it felt like summer too…”  
“Well,” Rick looked stricken for some strange reason. “It was the loveliest of dreams anyway.”  
“What are you talking about? Summer will get here eventually.”  
And then Rick was gone and everything was empty. It was far later then he had imagined. Daryl’s heart beat faster in his chest. He couldn’t hear anything from inside the house and was just about to rush inside when he heard footsteps and turned around to see Sophia standing there.  
“Sophia? You okay?”  
She ran up and threw her arms around him. “I wish you had found us first,” she whispered.  
“Sophia?”  
When she pulled away there was something strange and unwell about her eyes. Daryl flashed on Sophia being sick.   
Weird.  
That was Lizzie.  
No.  
Lizzie had disappeared in a fog of fear and fire and her mother had never ever talked about it. Sophia started to walk away from him and when he reached out into the darkness to grab her he couldn’t.   
“Sophia?”  
“Don’t give up yet. You ain’t ashes yet and neither is she…” That’s when he finally heard noise from inside the house. A man’s voice and a cruel laugh that took him right back to a cold night in the woods.  
Blood.  
The barbed wire bat.  
He didn’t think twice before racing back into the dark and freezing house screaming for his wife, no Carol, no…  
Did it bloody matter?  
“Carol?”  
All he knew was that she was the last person, the threshold, the last person that he could lose.

She was in the kitchen standing at the counter with Negan behind her. He loomed over her with a smile on his face and a knife at her neck. Carol was tiny in front of him. She stood so still it was easy for Daryl to see she was worried but then she moved her head and looked up at him with the steel in her eyes that he knew so well.  
“You’re going to be okay,” he promised not really believing that for a minute. Not anymore.  
He saw her fists tighten around the counter.  
“You look worried friend,” Negan taunted. “I was just saying hello to the cookie maker here.”  
“Let her go. She has nothing to do with this…”  
“What do you think this is?”  
Daryl felt a searing pain in his shoulder.   
“Do you really think you’re going to fight without loss?”  
“Let her go and I’ll do whatever you want.”  
“Daryl?” she sounded frightened and far away even though she was standing right in front of him.  
“It will be okay…”  
Negan laughed again just like he had that night. He could see Carol shiver and close her eyes. Daryl’s heart fell. “Oh, friend. Don’t you know you’re going to do that any way?”  
“No!”  
It was so quick that Daryl couldn’t do a thing. Negan slit her throat and blood ran everywhere. Carol didn’t even get a chance to cry out. Daryl forget about everything else but was around the counter fast enough to catch her before she fell to the ground. Her blood ran down his arms all over him even as he tried to stop it.  
“Carol? Please! You’re going to be fine!”  
But everything was spinning out of control. She meet his eyes one last time. Daryl pulled her so close and held her so tightly that he thought she could break. “Come find me Daryl,” she whispered but somehow sounded like the Carol he knew alive and brave. “You ain’t finished yet.”   
Then she slipped away the light leaving her eyes all at once.

Daryl woke uncomfortable in the bed the light hurting his eyes. He had been staying with Rick and Michonne to recover. And also because Michonne believed his presence could help keep Rick sane. The dream called to him though. The happy times that never happened but felt so right.  
Her blood all over him.  
“Daryl? You okay?”  
“No…”  
Michonne just nodded. She didn’t ask any questions for which he was painfully grateful. “Rick’s coming. We got good news.”  
“I don’t believe you.”  
“A message from Morgan. Help is coming,” she walked into the room and helped him carefully sit up in the bed. She even smiled at him, “And Carol’s alive.”  
Daryl’s heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. It was the best news he had heard yet. Everything would be okay. Everything would be okay if they all stayed together. And he tried to ignore the little voice in the back of his head when he heard Carol’s alive…  
The one that sounded like a devil with a barbed wire baseball bat whispering, “For now…”


End file.
